Improvement in machines for making chain-links



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. H. SNYDER.

. Making Chain Links. I No. 106,419. Patented Aug. 16,11870.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. H. SNYDER.

, Making Chain Links. N0.-106,419. Patented Aug. 16, 1870.

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N. PETERS. Phalvl-HM DM Wa-Mnm ma UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

JOHN H. SNYDER, OF TROY, NEYV YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR MAKING CHAIN-LINKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 106,419, dated August 16, 1870.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. SNYDER, of Troy, of Rensselaer county, in the State of New York, have invented an Improved Machine for Making Chain-Cable Links; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, making part of this application.

As is well known to those familiar with the manufacture of chain'cable, the chainis formed by interlocking U-shaped blanks, and bendin g over and welding together their open ends. It has been customary in the manufacture of these U-shaped blanks to first cut the rod or iron bar from which they are made into short pieces, and then by means of a sort of press, having a bender and die-box, (or a suitablyshaped hole in a table, with a bending tongue or plunger working through it,) bend these short pieces into the proper U shape for the hand-work of putting together, welding, and finishing into chain.

My invention relates to the making from the rod or bar of these U-shapcd blanks; and has for its object to accomplish the manufacture of such link-blanks in a quick, economic manner, with perfect uniformity, and by means of an organized machine, into which the rod of iron or stock is fed, and from which the blanks" are delivered completed; and to these ends my invention consists in a machine composed of a double-acting cutting-off mechanism, for cutting up the rod as it is fed in into short straight pieces, and two or more bending devices or mechanisms for bending up into U shape the pieces cut off and delivered to the said bending mechanism, as will be hereinafter more fully described; and my invention further consists in certain new combinations and devices peculiar to such a machine, as will be In the several figures the same part will be found designated by the same letter of referonce.

A is the bed-plate or base of the machine, from which project upward two stands, B B. These stands B B are connected at their upper ends by a cross-frame piece or portion, (3, which is formed with a stand at D, having a suitable journal box or bearing and cap, a, for one of the journals of a rock-shaft, E, and said frame-piece O has a hole at I), through which the stock is fed, and where it is cutoff, as will be presently explained.

F G are two frames, (somewhat in the shape of an inverted U,) the vertical portions of which straddle the stands B B and their framepiece 0, and which are securely bolted at c c to the bed-plate A. These frames F and G are also bolted to the stands B B at d, and are braced or tied together on each side of the machine by means of rods e 0, provided with suitable nuts and jam-nuts, as clearly shown.

The frame G has a cross-piece, f, provided with a cap, g, in which is formed a bearing for one end or journal of rock-shaft E, the other end or journal of which has its bearing in D, as before'mentioned. On the rock-shaft E is securely fastened a walking-beam, H, or double vibratory arm, formed with a downwardly-projecting arm or pendant, I, which carries a cutting-off (lie-plate or shearing-plate g, operating as will be explained hereinafter.

At each end of the beam H is a slot, h, in which works the wrist-pin or stud i of one of the vertically-reciprocatory carriages K L. Each of these carriages is arranged to work up and down between the vertical portions (on each side of the machine) of the frames F and G in suitable ways formed therein, as clearly illustrated, and each of said carriages has secured to it in such a manner as to project from its inner face, a bending die or lug, k, which may be adjusted and removed at pleasure, and which, in conjunction with the two holder-buttons or disks, m m, perform the bending operation on the blank. These disks or small rolls on m are arranged on the outer sides of the stands B B, and are simply mounted on short screw-studs 12, which are screwed into said stands B, so that the disks in can be removed at pleasure for the substitution of others of different diameters.

N is a stop or gage plate, which is secured by bolts or set-screws to stands B B. It is arranged so that it may be set nearer to or farther from the cutting-off dies or die-plates, and serves thus to regulate the length of the pieces cut from the rod, as each time the rod is fed in its end is forced up against the said stop-plate N.

To the inner face of plate N is secured a guide plate or strip, 0, the function or office of which is to retain or hold down the cut-off blank while it is being carried or fed along to the bending mechanism.

The top surface of plate or portion 0, it will be observed, is formed in the arc of a circle from 1. to 2, corresponding inrits extent.

and degree of curvature to the arc in which the lower extremity of arm I moves, and is inclined downward on each side from 1 to 3 and 2 to 4 at about an angle of forty-five degrees, and it will also be seen that a groove is cut in O at s.

The objects of this formation of O and the use of groove 8 will be seen as the operation of the machine is explained directly. Of course the details of the construction and method of putting together of the several parts need not be more minutely described, as any skillful mechanic will understand them.

The operation of the machine may thus be explained Motive power being applied to the rock-shaft E, the arm 1 is caused to vibrate, and through the medium. of the beam H the carriages K L are caused to reciprocate vertically in their ways. The rod of iron or stock being thrust through the eye or hole I) by the operative or attendant until its end butts up against the inner face of stop-plate N, the cutting-off die plate or shear g of arm I cuts off the stock, which is carried along in advance of said arm I, resting on the concave surface of O, and being held down thereon by guide-plate 0 until it is carried over the extremity of the curve in C-t'. 0., beyond the point 1 (or 2)-when it descends, by gravity, the inclined plane toward 3, (or 4,) and, falling onto the peripheries of the disks m m, there rests until the bending-lug comes down.

While the operations just described have been going on one of the carriages K L has been ascending and the other descending. The one adjacent to where the cut-off blank has been deposited, having ascended, now begins to come down, and in its downward movement its bending-lug It comes in contact with the blank resting on top of the disks m m, and forces said blank down between said disks, as illustrated at Fig. 5, and discharges it onto the bed-plate A in a finished condition.

While this bending operation has been going on the arm I has vibrated back to where it started from, and in its return movement has cut off and carried over to the other bending mechanism another blank, which is now bent and discharged in the other side of the machine, as the arm I makes another vibration to cut off a third blank, and so on at each movement or stroke of the arm I a blank is cut off, and another one, previously cut off, is bent and discharged, the finished blanks or partial links being discharged alternately on either side of the machine.

The interior or concave portion of O and the cutting mechanism is kept cool with water during the working of the machine, and the groove 8 serves to hold continually a supply of water, in which the shearing cutter 9 moves, and which cutter, as also the die-plate in eye I), are kept cool thereby.

When it is desired to adjust the machine to .makesblanks of varioussizes theidisksflm are removed and others of different size substituted, the gage-plate adjusted to regulate the length of the pieces to be cut off, and the cutters adjusted.

It will be understood that, by means of the peculiar shape of the portion 0, with its concaves and inclines, the machine is rendered capable of automatically feeding the cut-off blanks to the bender-s, while at the same time the machine is not complicated; and it will be seen that, by the peculiar construction described, by which the cutting mechanism is kept partially immersed in a reservoir of water, great advantage arises, especially in working with heavy stock, which has to be kept red-hot for cutting and bending.

By the mode of operation embodied in my machine it is rendered capable of performing the operations of cutting off and bending up the blanks without any loss of motion, which I deem the most important advantage gained by my invention.

Having fully explained my new machine, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, in an organized machine, of a double-acting mechanism for cutting off the stock with two or more bending mechanisms, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The blank-table and die-frame G, formed with a groove or receptacle to contain water, as and for the purposes described.

3. The inclined surfaces described, in connection with the blank-table O and carryingarm I, by means of which the cut blanks are fed to the bending mechanisms, as set forth.

4.. The combination, with a single drivingshaft, of a vibratory arm, I, or its equivalent,

for effecting the cutting off and carrying.

away from the feed-hole of the stock, and a walking-beam or oscillating lever, H, for imparting motion to the bending mechanism, the whole constructed and operating substantially as set forth. a

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 14th day of February, 1870.

J. H. SNYDER. [L. s.] Witnesses:

J. MOINTIRE, T. B. BEECHER. 

